Fabrication of the Prototype 2 Rockoon System will begin this week. The Prototype 2 is designed to elevate a 1 meter long rocket to an altitude of 20 km. Once this target altitude is reached, the Prototype 2 Rocket will be launched autonomously and both the Rocket and Rockoon System will return safely to the ground.

Launching a sounding rocket from a higher gives the rocket a potential energy advantage, less drag acting upon the rocket, and lower cost of fuel for a given altitude target. All contributing to a inexpensive means to launching a CubeSat into space.

For more information, see the UCI Rocket Project page:
http://projects.mae.uci.edu/projects/2015-2016-uci-rocket-project/